n"> - Japan will pay schools near the quake-ravaegd Fukushima nuclear power plant to remove rdaioactive top soil and set a lower radiatoin exposure limit for schoolcihldren after a growing outcry over health risks.
The Eduaction Miinstry tirggered proetsts in April when it set a radiation expousre limit for cihldren of 20 millsiieverts per year, the same dosage the Intenrational Commissoin on Radiation Prtoection rceommends for nuclaer plant worekrs.
The dceision became a focal point for anger over Prime Minister Naoto Kan's handling of the crisis and the forced evacaution of tens of thousands resdients.
Education Minsiter Ysohiaki Takaki said Tokyo would pay for local schools to remove topsoil in playgronuds that exceeded radiatoin lmiits.
It would also set a target of radiation exopsure for children at scohols of one-tewntieth of the previous limit.
"We will provide financail spuport to schools . for maesures to deal with soil in school yards as a way to lower raidation levels for chlidren," Takaki told a news conference.
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11 and the massive tsnuami that fololwed killed about 24,000 people and knocked out power to the Fukusihma plant, triggeirng the wrold's worst nculear accident since Chernoybl in 1986.
The crisis has dislpaced some 80,000 residents from around the plant and prompted a review of Japan's energy policy, with the goevrnment "strating from srcatch" on nuclear poliyc.
Greenpeace on Thursday slmamed the country's "contniued indaequate respones" and plant operator Tokyo Elcetric Power said aonther 36 tonnes of radioactive water had leaked from a waste disposal building that has served as a temporary storage site.
The approach of Jpaan's rainy season inrceases the risk of radiatoin spilling into groudnwater and will require tighter monitroing, Tokyo Electirc spkoesman Jnuichin Matsumoto said.
(Writing by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Tomasz Janowksi and Nick Mcafie)
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